Just a Cold
by silver-kin
Summary: When Mihashi falls sick, Abe nearly strangles him for it. It's at this point that Izumi finally loses his temper.


This is my submission for the second inning over at livejournal community, novel_koushien. Please enjoy. :)

Disclaimer: Ookiku Furikabutte is the property of Asa Higuchi.

**Just a Cold**

Mihashi sneezes. Twice.

The rest of them look up from their lunch boxes; that can't be good. They wait.

Hands slam down on the table and they hastily move their drinks out of the way, somewhere safe. "Aho! I told you to watch your health!"

Izumi sighs as Mihashi flinches, trying to edge away. "A-Abe-kun."

"How long have you been sick?" Abe demands.

"Uh…h-h-how…"

"How long?"

"S-Since…last night."

Abe grabs the pitcher by his collar, efforltessly pulling him out of his seat. "You've been sick since last night and you didn't say anything? Don't you think that's something you should mention!?"

Mihashi looks like he's going to suffocate; Tajima comes to his rescue. "He probably thought it'll go away by noon. Some colds are like that, right?"

The pitcher nods, or attempts his best while being throttled mercilessly by the catcher. Meanwhile, Abe remains unconvinced. "He should still say something. We had practice this morning."

Izumi frowns a little. "Well, choking him like that isn't exactly going to make him better."

"That's right," Hanai agrees. "Let him go, Abe."

"Tch." Abe reluctantly releases his grip and Mihashi staggers backwards, unbalanced. He nearly trips over his chair but is pulled upright at the last moment by Tajima, who wraps a casual arm around his neck.

"It's just a cold, anyway. He'll get better in no time."

"Not if he doesn't take proper care of his health. Come on," he says to Mihashi. "We're going to the infirmary."

"It's just a cold," Izumi protests, irritation colouring his words. "What do you expect the school nurse to do? Magically cure his nose?"

Abe turns his glare on the brunette. "He can rest there for a while. And if the nurse lets him, Mihashi should rest at home."

"Staying at school for a few more hours isn't going to kill him," Izumi says, returning the glare easily.

"Resting at home will make him better faster. There's a practice game coming up. What are we supposed to do with a sick pitcher?"

"The practice match is in two weeks. There's plenty of time for him to recover."

"Two weeks is nothing! He might not recover in time!"

"What are you talking about!? Ordinary colds don't last for more than a few days!"

"Well, what if it's not an ordinary cold? All the more reason for him to go home! He has to get enough rest!"

"What are you, his mother?"

"No, I'm his catcher."

"That doesn't mean you can order him around like that!"

"I'm not ordering him! I'm just telling him to take better care of himself. It's called watching out for the pitcher. It's what catchers do!"

"No, it isn't! It's called ordering him around! He doesn't need you to tell him take care of himself! He knows that! He's not a complete idiot!"

"Why don't you mind your own business!?"

"I am minding my business! I'm sick of watching you boss him around!"

"HEY!"

They stop. Hanai has moved to stand between them and is wearing a frustrated expression on his face. "Calm down."

Izumi takes a step back, only then realising that he's been shouting. His throat burns a little, feeling sore and as he glances around, he notices that the rest of the class has gone silent, watching them with surprised looks. They weren't staring because of Abe; the catcher yelling at Mihashi is a common sight. Abe yelling at Izumi, however, isn't something they see every day. In fact, it's something they have never seen before.

He breathes out. He breathes in. He breathes out again.

Hanai looks at him, then at Abe, his expression a mixture of emotions. Finally, he says, "Abe, go ahead and take Mihashi to the infirmary. Tajima, will you go with them?"

Tajima, who has been staring at them both in silent wonder, mouth open in shock, immediately nods. "Sure. Come on. To the infirmary!" Dragging Mihashi – who flaps about listlessly, stunned – towards the door, he slides it open with his foot and disappears around the corner. After a while, Abe follows suit, not looking back.

The rest of the class returns their attention to their lunches and small talk once again fills the air. Izumi sits down, picking up his chopsticks; in front of him, Hanai takes a seat.

An awkward silence hangs between them, as heavy and sepulchral as a storm cloud. It grows thicker and thicker until Izumi, swallowing the last of his lunch and washing it down with his drink, says, "Sorry. Guess I lost my temper."

Hanai exhales, sounding relieved. "It's alright. You were bound to, one of these days. I'm actually kind of surprised it didn't happen sooner."

"It's just so annoying, the way he goes on and on about it. I mean," and here, Izumi hesitates a little before pushing relentlessly on, "if I didn't know better, I'd say he has a thing for Mihashi."

That makes Hanai laugh. "Wouldn't that be something." Then he stops, looking thoughtful. "Actually, that might even be true. He does get very obsessive when it comes to Mihashi and he is constantly picking on him. But, Abe…" Hanai trails off, shaking his head and chuckling nervously. "No. That doesn't sound like Abe. He's just really bossy."

"If you say so." Izumi stands up, empty bottle in hand. "I'm gonna stop by the washroom." Hanai nods distractedly, staring into his lunchbox with a mildly horrified expression and without another word, Izumi leaves the classroom.

Once outside, he breathes a quiet sigh to himself.

'He's just really bossy.'

Well, he certainly hopes so. For Mihashi's sake.

**End**

All forms of feedback is very much appreciated. Thank you for your time. I hope you enjoyed reading this. :)


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